Oil-distilling apparatus.



So H. EDWARDS.

OIL DISTILLING-APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY8,1915.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Slaven/(oz of 7/ M S. H. EDWARDS.

olL msmLlNG APPARATUS..

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 1915.

1,170,884. Patented Feb.8,1916.

3 SHhETS-SHEEI' 2. 2/

20 43 c l 4f i; i e @2* 24 Il] #j iff i I' I' 'l /f/ wwf S. H. EDWARDS.

OIL DISTILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 8. 191s.

1,170,884. Patented, Feb.8,1916.

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EDWARDS, 0F BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-FOURTH T0 TIDE WATER OIL COMPANY, OF BAYONNE, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

OIL-DISTILLING VAPPARATUS.

Application lcd Mey 8, 1915.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, SauUiiL H. -Enwanns, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bayonne, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Im rovenients in Oil-Distilling Apparatus, o which the following is a specification.

'lhe object of the invention is to provide an advantageous apparatus for the continuous distillation of hydrocarbons` The apparatus is especially suitable for continuous destructive ressure distillation of relatively high boiling ioint fractions resulting from petroleum iistillation, for the purpose of converting the saine wholly or partially into low boiling (point products. The invention is not limite in yits useful ness, however, to any one process or operation, and may be employe( with advantage in place of apparatus used for the distillation of crude petroleum or the re-distilla tion of its distillates in accordance with various procedures.

In the manufacture of gasolene from high boiling point hydrocarbons by pressure distillation, and to a great extent in the art of petroleum distillation, it has been the practice to follow the batch or intermittent method of distillation. that being made necessary by thetype of apparatus employed. This has involved a time loss of perhaps oiic-tliird, making only about twothirds of the actual time employed effective, and compelling the refiner to construct a lui'ger number of units than would have been necessary were it possible to employ the continuous distillation method. Another disadvantage of present day practice is the necessity of building comparatively largo reservoirs or stills in order to start with a `suflicient quantity of raw material to make th'e process economical and practical.

For the purpose of enablingl this work to be carried on continuously I have designed a tubular still, composed of drums and heating tubes, sectionalized or partitioned, and so constituted with its connections and supply and discharge lines as to secure an automatic progressive circulation. Among the advantages of the still are cheaper construction and less plant investment than necessary heretofore to process a definite quantity of raw material, a material `reduction in operating cost, due to the greater capacity Specication o! Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1916.

semi No. 26,699.

and higher eliiciency of the still, obtained by operating continuousl greater safety in operation and practica ility of o ierating at much higher pressure than luis en practicable lieietofore. The apparatus is particularly suitable for economically and efficiently carrying on pressure distillation to a fractional degree only.

It is well known to those skilled in the art that, within certain limits, the lower boiling oint fractions of the oils usually trente y pressure distillation are more easily cracked, tliermolyZed or converted into low boiling point hydrocarbons at the pressures and temperatures usually employed than the higher boiline point fractions of the oil to be treated. lily apparatus makes it possible to carry on the process economica ly and efficiently to a fractional extent only by extendin the o eration to the degree of having crac ed or t ermolyzed principally those lower-boiling point constituents of the oil being treated which are most easily converted, and leaving as a residue a lproduct suitable for sale and use as a gas oi or fuel oil without further rocessing. The invention is useful as wel, however, for carrying out the distillation of these fractions, or of crude petroleum or other petroleum products` until the residue luis been reduced to the degree desired. In this connection, the still may be rnade of varying sizes by increasing or decreasing the number of sections, or two or more of the stills may be connected in series, according to the extent to which distillation-is to be carried.

Other apparatus may be employed in conjunction with the still, more especially a series of aerial condensers for condensing out of the vapors the fractions of higher boilingT points and returning the saine to the still or making other disposition thereof as desired, the several aerial condenser units havin individual outlets which may be conncctc by a common return line with the lower portion of the tubular still at one point, or by separate lines with different sections of the still, or which may be connected with receiving tanks if these fractions are not to be turned back into the still.

Various other features of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention: Figure 1 is a sectional -side elevation of the apparatus, the pipe lines being shown broken away for economy of' space and the stack connected with the furnace of the still being omitted for like reason; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the still and 'its pipe lines, with the briclrwork setting omitted; Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section through the rear portion of the still; Fig. 4 is a rear elevation of the still; Fig. 5 is a section taken on a planeintersecting the axis of the upper and lower drums of the foregoing gures; Fig. (3 is a sectional side elevation of a modified form' ,fication and that changes may be made,and

that parts may be added or taken away, as long as the essential character of the apparatus is not altered.

The construction shown in the drawings will now be briefiy described. Reference will first be had 'to Figs. l to 5. The still comprises primarily a nest of heating tubes l, which are shown disposed in a forwardly and upwardly inclined position within a setting 2, the fire-box 3 being beneath theY forward, upper ends .of the tubes. The course -of the gaseous products of combustion from the fire-box is determined by the bridge wall Ll, the depending wall 5, and baffles 6, 7 in the nest of tubes, so that the tubes are effectively exposed to the heat. The still also comprises an -upper drum 8, which in accordancc with the invention is partitioned by transverse dia-phragms 9 so as to present a plurality of compartments which are connected in circuit with groups of tubes. A lower drum 10 is also provided and partitionedby diaphragms 11 like the upper drum, the compartments of the lower druml being connected with the lower or rear ends of the groups of tubes. The still thus consists of a plurality of sections, which may be greater or less in number, each section comprising a group of tubes and therewith connected drum compartments. The still is thusdivided into a number of small circulating units, bringing the oil into rapid and repeated contact with the heating surface of the tubes, and allowing the vapor formed in each circulating unit to become disengaged from the liquid in the upper drum. The sections are connected in such manner that while the oil being treated is circulating continuously through the tubes of the varii i i E ous sections and givin up its vaporizedI portions in the upper Crum, a progressive circulation of the oil as residue, less the val. por-ized portion, takes place from one section to another, successively. As illustrated, the partitions of theupper and lower drums are' similarly placed, and corresponding upper; and lower compartments are connected witlf the ends of the samev sets of tubes, the com# munication between sections being throughf the diaphragms in the drums. V

In Figs. 1 to 5, the upper drum is disposed transversely, partly inside and partly out-1 side the rear and upper portion of the set-il ting, above the rear, lower ends of the tubes: The lower drum is placed transversely within the lower rear portion of the setting,` and is connected with the rear or lower ends of the tubes. The upper drum is connected' with both ends of the tubes. The tubes are connected in tiers with sectional head-` ers 12 and 13, the upper ends of which are connected by tubes 14 and 15 with the upper drum. The lower drum is connected with the lower ends of the headers by short tubes 16. In addition, in order to insureli an adequate supply of oil to the heatingt tubes 1, the lower, or rear,`ends thereofare; connected with the upper drum by down-i comers 17. The latter' preferably open into; the rear side of the lower druln, and may be; two in number for each pair of upper arid lower drum compartments, and of the same,

size as the tubes 15, though this may be varied. The connections between the drum compartments may be formed by openingsl 18 and 19 through the diaphragms near but somewhat above the bottoms, in order to guard against their becoming choked by deposits. These openings are preferably com-1' paratively restricted in order that part of the oil in each section may be caused to cir` culate repeatedly therein before passing to the next section, or, in.`otl1er words, to render the progress from section to section comparatively slow. Manifestly, however, the: action may be varied bymaking the area ofi communication for the oil between compart: ments larger or smaller. The openings also perform the function of 'equalizing the level; of the liquid in the several sections, to guardi against any of the sections going dry.

The diaphragms of the lower drum pref-l erably go all the way to the top thereof, being closed with the exception of the open-i ings 19. The diaphragme of the upperl drum, on the contrary, preferably/termi-i nate a substantial 4distance below the topi of this drum, so as to leave a common Vapor; space 20 in the upper part. The same result would obviously be secured by appropriate openings in the upper parts of the diaphragms. From the top of this space therel leads a vapor .line Q1, which may carry ai safety valve 22.

Ashown in Fig. 5, the first section may be wider than the last section, including more of the heating tubes. The dimensions of the intermediate sections and the number of tubular units included thereby may vary. The residue discharge line 2st preferably leads from the upper drum compartment of the last section. Its inlet end may be inside the drum, a short distance above the bottom, and may extend upward and thence bend laterally, passing through the wall of the drum atsuch height that the liquid level determined by the height of overflow is below the tops of the diaphragnis. to the end that communication for the oil between compartments shall be confined to the openings 1S. A pump Ll in the supply line lserves to deliver the fluid to the still at an appropriate rate.

The vapor line conducts the vapors to the first of a series of aerial condensers 25, which comprise a row of horizontal drums having air tubes 2G passing through them. Air is supplied'to these tubes by an air line 27 having a blower Q8, the cooling effect being thus definitely controllable. The vapor line enters the side of the first condenser drum, the interior of which around the cooling tubes is filled with thevapors when the still is in operation. The highest boiling point fractions condense here and settle in the bottom of the drum, which thus constitutes its own collector. From the opposite side of thefirst drum the vapors still uncondensed pass to the second drum by a short tube 29, and so on through the drums in series, frac tions of successively lower boiling point being condensed out in the several drums and collecting iu the bottoms thereof. The number and size of the aerial condensers may be varied in accordance with conditions and the particular end in view. From the last drum the remaining vapors pass by a line to a water condenser 3l, from which the crude gasolene or other distillate may be drawn off from time to time through a line 32. If the operation being conducted is the thermolyzing of high boiling point fractions having boiling points of upward of 400o F. (gas oil, etc.,) for the purpose of producing gasolene, the aerial 4ccndensers should be so proportioned as to knock back all of the oil fractions coming over with the vapors having higher boiling points than the desired naphtha-containing distillate, which, alone, is condensed in the water condenser.

Each of the aerial condensers has anl individual outlet 33 from its bottom, and all thesev outlets may enter a common return line 34, which joins the supply line 23 and thus reaches the lower drum of the still, preferably entering the first compartment thereof', though this may be varied. In addition each of the aerial condenser outlets has a valved branch 36, and each of the compartments of the lower drum other than the first Vhas a connection', which may be closed if not in use, so that by suitable piping, the arrangement of which will be ob'- vious, the condensate of any or all of the aerial condensers may be returned to any one or-more of the sections of the still, enabling any desired combination to be effected. Or the products condensed in the j aerial drums lnay be drawn ofi' to storage, for other disposltion.

line 35, leading from the bottom of the lower drum, part' of which constitutes an extension of the return line, is connected through a cooler 38 with a'pump 60, so that inv event of emergency the still may be quickly emptied of oil. The drum fitting 39 of the line is preferably located at the bot tom of the drumand may be removed to facilitate cleaning out of car. posits from this drum. For the same purpose the diaphragms in the drums are made collapsible, so that they may be readily displaced after access is obtained through usual manholes. 'the particular construction may, of course, be varied, but as shown in F ig. 3, the desired end may be simply attained uy making each diaphragm in two parts, bolted to each other at the middle and at the margins to angle irons Iil on the interior of the drums.

The overflow. line 2t, through which the residue escapes from the still may lead to storage, or asl indicated by the branch 42 may lead into or constitute the supply line of a second still, which may be in all respects like the first and is therefore not illustrated. lVhile it is possible to build one still with sufficient'circulating units to carry on the process to any desired degree of concentration of the residue, it is 'not advisable for practical reasons to carry the still beyond a certain size, preferably not more than twenty tubes wide, because of mechanical limitations which may be encountered. If it is desired to carry the process beyond the degree of concentration attainable in one such still the liquid residue in the last compartment of the upper transverse drum o the first still may be led 'to the first section of the lower drum of a second still, and the process carried on from that point in a Way entirely similar to that in the first still except that, due to the heavier concentration and the higher average boiling points of the material composing such residue, higher temperatures will naturally prevail. The process may be carried in a third and even a fourth still, to a point Where the degree of concentration is too great to admit of further practical continuous processing of the residue. At this point the residue will fiow out continuously at a rate'conforming to the speed of the process and can be collected in a suitable container. A vent opening 4:3 is formed in the top of the overfiow line, at a point within the drum. The function of this vent is to prevent thepossibility of a siphoning action being set up, thereby creating a tendency to lower the level of the oil below the predetermined point fixed by the position of the overflow or 'discharge line The illustrative modifications of the preferred construction will now bereferred to briefiy. F ig. 9 shows an elnbodiment which may be in all essentials like that described, except that the--upper drum compartments 8, instead of being formed by.

' may be precisely like those of the preferred form, and the construction is so illustrated.l

Another lnodification, indicated in Fig. '8, may be exactly like Fig. 6, except that it comprises a number of cross-connected longitudinal drums, located, it will be understood, in-the same setting.

W'hat I clamasnew is: l

1. A continuoustubular oil still comprising a plurality of connected sections comprising groups of heating tubes and therewith connected drum compartments, and means forsupplying and discharging/oil to and from different sections whereby the oil being heated in circulation progresses from one section to another successively.

2. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a furnace and setting,4 in combination with a plurality of transversely connected still sections comprising drum compartments and heating tubes connected therewith and exposed to the heat of the furnace, and

means for supplying and discharging oil to and from different sections whereby the oil being heated in circulation progresses from .one section to another transversely of the still.

3. A continuous tubular oil still comprising 4a nest of inclined heating tubes, alfirebox under the upper portion thereof, a plurality of drumcompartments above and connected with the tubes, the compartments 'rality of lower drum compartments,l the drum compartments and therewithconnected tubes constituting sections through which the oil circulates successively, and oil inlet and outlet lines connected with different sections.

5. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a furnace, a nest of tubes therein, a plurality of drum-compartments, each compartment being connected with the opposite endsof a set of the tubes, whereby the o1l may circulate repeatedly ineach section comprising a drum compartment and its connected tubes, connections between the compartments whereby the oil may pass from one section to another, and an inlet and an outl let'for oil connected with different sections.

6. A continuous tubular oil still comprisf ing a furnace, a nest of tubes arranged in the path of the products of combustion, a

drum above and connected 'with the tubes, diaphragms in the drum dividing the same v into compartments, and means whereby the oil being heated Vin circulation progresses from one compartment to another.

7. A continuous tubular oil still compris-A ing a plurality of connected sections comprising a drum divided into compartments and heating tubes connected with the compartments, and means for supplying and discharging oi to and from different sections.

'8. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of tubes, a drum above and connected in a circulatory system with the tubes, diaphragms in the drum dividing the same into oil compartments with a common vapor space in the upper portion of the drum, means for leading ofi' and condensing the vapors from said space, and oil inlet and outlet lines connected so that the circulating oil passes from one drum compartment to another.

9. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of heating tubes, upper and lower drums connected therewith, said drums being divided into compartments, a supply line., and an outlet `for the residue.

10. A continuous tubular oil still comprisl ,ing a nest of tubes, upper and lower drums' divided into correspondin compartments, each upper compartment an its corresponding with a set of the tubes, connectionsbetween the compartments whereby the I011 1n clrculower compartment being connected i l l l tion, oil condensing, means connected withsaid hne, and supply and resldue discharge.

lines connected with different compartments.

12. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of heating tubes, a drum connected therewith, partitions dividing said drum into compartments with openings ythrough the diaphragms toward the bottom of the drum, and supply and residue discharge lines, substantially as described.

t 13. A continuous tubular oil still comprismg a nest of heating tubes, a drum above and connected in circuit with said tubes, and idiaphragms in the drum dividing the same ginto compartments, said diaphragms having lopen communication between the compartiments in the upper part ofthe drum above the liquid level and having in addition open- A ings below the liquid level.

14. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of heating tubes, an upper drum connected with opposite ends of said tubes,

,a lower drum connected with the tubes at lone end only, dia-phragms dividing said drums into compartments, and an oil supply "lineand a-residue discharge line connected with different parts of the still so as to cause the oil in circulation to progress from compartment to compartment.

l5. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of heating tubes, an upper drum connected with opposite ends of said tubes, a lower drum connected with the tubes at one end only, diaphragms dividing said drumsinto compartments, and connections between adjoining compartments, in combi-v nation with an oil supply line, a residue discharge line connected with a remote portion of the still from the supply line, a vapor line leading from the upper drum, and oil condensing "means connected with said vapor line.

16. A continuous tubular oil still comprising al nest of heating tubes, and a transverse drum thereabove, said drum being divided transversely into compartments, said cornpartments communicating with each other and each compartment connected with oppositeends of a set of the tubes, in combination with supply and residue discharge-lines connected so as to cause the oil in circulatherein in the path f the products of combustion, a plurality of upper drum compartments connected with opposite ends of said tubes, a plurality of lower-drum compartments connected with the tubes at one end thereof. an oil supply line connected with one of the lower compartments, and a residue discharge line connected with a remote upper compartment.

18. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of tubes, upper and lower drums connected therewith, diaphragms dividing the drums into compartments, an oil supply line connected with lthe first of the lower compartments, an overflow line connected with the last of the upper compartments, and a vapor line connected with the upper drum and leading to an oil condenser.

1S). A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of tubes, upper and lower drums connected therewith, diaphragms dividing the drums into compartments, an oil supply line connected with the first of the lower compartments, an overflow line conected with the last of the upper compartments, a vapor line connected with the upper drum and leading to an oil condenser, and a return line for conducting condensate back to the lower drum.

20. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of tubes, a plurality of upper drum compartments connected in circuit with groups of said tubes in such manner that the oil in circuit may progress from one compartment to another, oil supply and residue discharge lines so connected as to cause such progression, a vapor line, fractional condensing means connected therewith, and a return line` for conducting condensate from said condensing means back to the lower portion of the still.

21. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a plurality of communicating sections,

' each comprising a portion of a nest of-tubes and a'n upper drum compartment connected therewith, and oil supply and residue discharge lines connected with dii'erent sections, in combination with a vapor line, fractional condensing means connected with said vapor line, and means whereby con densate may be returned to one or other of said sections as desired.

22. A continuous tubular oil still comprising-a plurality of communicating sections, each comprisin a portion of a.- nest 'of tubes and an upper rum compartment connected therewith, andoil `supply and residue dis,-

charge'lines connectedwith dilerent sec-v tions, in combination with a. vapor line,

fractional condensing means connected with oil in circulation may progress from one compartment to another, means for supplying the oil to be distilled to one vportion of the compound circulatory system constituted by the tubes and compartments, a residue discharge line leading from'a drum compartment remote from the supply inlet, oil

condensing means connected with the vapor line, and a return line from said condensing means to a lower portion of the still:

24. Acontinuous tubular oil still comprising an inclined nest of tubes connected in tiers between sectional headers, a fire-box below the upper portion of the nest, an upper drum divided into compartments connected with the upper ends of both the front and back headers, 'a lower drum connected withl the .lower ends .o f the back headers, additional circulators extending downward 130 from the upper drum compartments and opening into the lower drum compartments, and means including oil supply and residue discharge lines whereby the oil in circulatior'is caused to progress from section to section of the still.

- 25. A continuoustubular oil still comprising a nest of tubes connected in tiers to sectional headers at their ends, a .plurality of'drum compartments above the tubes,

. l connections between said drum compart ments and the upper ends of said sectional` headers, additional circulators extending downward from the drum compartments and connecting with the lower portion of the nest of tubes at one end, and means including oil supply and residue discharge lines whereby the oil in circulation is caused to progress from-section to section of the still.

26. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest of tubes, upper and lower drums divided into compartments connected withy the tubes, means `including oil supply andi residue discharge lines whereby the oil ini circulation'is caused to progress from sec-l tion to section ofthe still, a vapor line lead-g ing from the upper drum, an oil condensing;y means connected with-the Vapor line, a. c'on-z densate return line for condensate leading from said condensing means and opening into 'the bottom of the lower drum, and pumping out means connected with said return line. l

27. A continuous tubular oil still comprising a nest 'of tubes, a-drum connected therewith, vcollapsible diaphragms dividing said drum into compartments, and means includ-l ing oil supply and residue discharge linesl whereby the oil in circulation is caused toi progress from one section of the still to another. I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name hereto. Y

SAMUEL H. EDWARDS;

Witnesses: CLAUDE K. EDWARDS, Jam-:s J. MoGRA'rH. 

